mostly-adequate-guide · GitBook

Its also easier to get started in this language since its mixed paradigm and you can fall back on your current practices while there are gaps in your knowledge.

In a pure functional language, you cannot log a variable or read a DOM node without using monads.

Part 2 (currently chapters 8+) will address type classes like functors and monads all the way through to traversable.

JavaScript will be our means of learning a paradigm, where you apply it is up to you.

mostly-adequate-guide: @karlillomp: I’d like to have read this before getting in #functionalprogramming #Redux #reactjs

This is a book on the functional paradigm in general. We’ll use the world’s most popular functional programming language: JavaScript. Some may feel this is a poor choice as it’s against the grain of the current culture which, at the moment, feels predominately imperative. However, I believe it is the best way to learn FP for several reasons:

We don’t have to learn everything up front to start writing programs.

In a pure functional language, you cannot log a variable or read a DOM node without using monads. Here we can cheat a little as we learn to purify our codebase. It’s also easier to get started in this language since it’s mixed paradigm and you can fall back on your current practices while there are gaps in your knowledge.

That said, typed functional languages will, without a doubt, be the best place to code in the style presented by this book. JavaScript will be our means of learning a paradigm, where you apply it is up to you. Luckily, the interfaces are mathematical and, as such, ubiquitous. You’ll find yourself at home with swiftz, scalaz, haskell, purescript, and other mathematically inclined environments.